High chair tray



Sept. 12, 1950 A. M. BOUDREAU 2,522,087

HIGH CHAIR TRAY Filed Jan. 50, 1946 lim A \\I1Inl\\\\\\\ /4 g Ifiven far.

Patented Sept. 12, 1950 2,522,087 HrGHoHAIR TRAY Alban M. Boudreau, Gardner, Mass., assignor to Hedstrom-Un'ion Company, Gardner; Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application may so, 1946, Serial No. 644,297

. l" This invention relates to improvements in high chairs and comparable articles having provision for mounting trays in convenient adjustable reIationto a seat. More particularly it relates to improved tray-mounting and tray-securing means whereby a high chair tray or the like is readily adjustablealong the chair arms or comparable supports and may be quickly and effectively clamped securely in any selected position of adjustment. A I

It is among the objects of my invention to simplify tray-mounting and tray-securing mechanism ascompared'with prior proposals of which I am aware, and to effect the securement of a tray by an effective clamping action as distingdished from prior devices employing ratchet mechanisms and pin-in-hole securing devices.

Another object is to facilitate a hinged mounting and eiiective securement of a tray by employ ing a ,pair of cylindrical supports along which he tray is adjustable and about one of which the-jtray is swingable to an out-oi-the-way position, the other cylindrical support coacting with a securing means for effectively clamping the tray in any selected position of adjustment along the supports.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object general- 1y to improve the structure and effectiveness of tray-mounting and tray-securing mechanisms.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. i is a side elevation of the upper portion of a high chair equipped with a tray and embodying features of my present invention;

Fig. is a top plan view of the tray of Fig. 1, including the tray-supporting arms of the chair;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a fragment of the tray of Figs. 1 and 2, on a larger scale;

4 is a cross-sectional view on line ll- 3 of 3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of my clamping level.

Referring to the drawing, the high chair seat is mounted in a customary manner on suitable legs iii, the seat as shown being upholstered for comfort and improved appearance although this, of course, is a matter of choice.

The arms it of the chair are formed of metal tubing which, as shown, is a single piece of tub-- ing, bent to the attractive shape as seen in Fig. l and including the generally horizontal armpor tions it which are integrally connected by the portion it extending around the upholstered back rest it. The back rest may be additionally braced by a metal strap l8 extending from the backrest to a place of securement at the under side of seat it.

3 Claims. (01. 155-127 across from one arm to the other. to the invention, the tray is swingably and slid The tubular and cylindrical arms It have sub-' stantial generally horizontal extent, and a tray 26 .is adapted to rest .on the arms, extending According ably secured on one arm it by one ormore U straps 22 of metal which are secured to the under side of the tray. Hence, when desired, the tray vided ,at itsv under sideior clamping coaction withv the adjacent chair arm M, as best seen'in Figs. 3 5, wherein a clamping lever, indicated generallyat is pivoted at 25 and has the clamping'finger 28 for engaging under the arm it when the lever. is actuated to its tray clamping positlonl'as seen in Fig. l and in full lines in Fig. 3. Q The lever 24 preferably is not mounted directly Onthe tray but is pivoted on a bearing plate 30 which: is secured on the under side of the tray by the screws 32, 3d. Screw 32 will be of a type whose head will not project beyond the plane of the outer surface of the plate, such as a iillister head screw as shown. Screw St, on the other hand, preferably will have a raised head which can constitute a stop for limiting the movement of lever 2-; in both directions about its pivot 26. In Fig. 3, the lever is shown in full lines in its tray-clamping position stopped against the head of screw M, and is shown in dotted lines stopped against the same screw head in the tray-releasing position of the lever.

It is a feature of the invention that the lever 24 has a substantial fiatwise bearing on the plate 30 and has its operating arm equipped at its end with a finger piece 25 which may be positioned at a convenient location under the forward margin of the tray when the lever is in trayclamping position, so that the lever readily may be actuated to and from tray-clamping position without undue strain being placed on the pivot 26. Ordinarily the clamping finger 2B of the lever will be positioned so that it must yield a little resiliently when swung into engagement under arm l4, thereby to strongl clamp the tray against the arm I 3 and to introduce friction suflicient to ensure against unintentional movement of the lever to tray-releasing position.

In addition to the clamping effect produced by the clamping finger 2t and the adjacent arm Hi, this clamping action at one side of the tray tends to swing the tray about that arm is as a pivot with the result that the U-straps 22 at the other side engage more tightly under the chair 'arm 14 at that side, whereby increased friction at the U-straps, as well as the clamp, tends to restrain any possible sliding movement along the chair arms.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an article having a seat and a pair of generally parallel side members with substantial horizontal extent at opposite sides of and elevated with respect to the seat, a tray supported on and slidable along the horizontal extent of said side members, means on the under surface of the tray at one side thereof rotatably engaging around one of said side members of the article whereby the tray is swingable about the longitudinal axis of said one of the side members, and.

releasable tray securing means pivotally mounted on the under surface of the tray at the other side thereof, said releasable tray securing means having a resilient portion swingable across the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of the adjacent side member of the article for engaging resiliently under the side member, thereby to resiliently clamp the tray against the side member with the clamping pressure applied in said vertical plane, said securing means having another portion projecting a substantial distance from the pivot of the securing means and manually operable to swing said resilient portion to and from its clamping position across .said vertical plane of the axis of the side member.

2. In a high chair having a seat and a pair of generally parallel arms with substantial horizontal extent at opposite sides of and elevated with respect to the seat, said horizontal portion of each arm being circular in cross-section, a tray slidably supported on the horizontal portions of said arms, means on the under surface of the tray and toward one side thereof engaging loosely around a said arm whereby the tray is swingable about that arm as a fulcrum and is slidable along the horizontal portion of that arm, a lever pivoted on the under surface of the tray toward the opposite side of the tray, said lever having a resilient arm swingable across the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of the adjacent chair arm for engaging resiliently under the arm thereby to resiliently clamp the tray against the arm with the clamping pressure applied in said vertical plane, said lever having another arm projecting a substantial distance from the pivot of the lever and manually operable to swing the resilient arm to and from its clamping position across the said vertical plane of the axis of the side member.

3. In a high chair having a pair of parallel arms and having a tray slidably supported on the arms, the combination therein of cross-sectionally round chair arms, on which the tray rests, means on the under surface of the tray, at one side thereof, rotatably engaging around the adjacent chair arm whereby the tray is slidably hinged to the said arm, and a clamping lever pivoted to the under surface of the tray at the other side thereof, said lever having a resilient arm swingable across the vertical plane of the axis of the adjacent chair arm for resiliently engaging under the arm to clamp the tray to the arm with the clamping pressure in the said vertical plane, said lever having a second arm projecting from its pivot and manually operable to swing said resilient arm to and from its said clamping position across said vertical plane.

ALBAN M. BOUDREAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

